UTEP men's basketball: No. 12 Arizona tough test for Miners

TUCSON, Ariz. -- It is but one heartbeat into the young season and already UTEP's Miners will be getting a stern test.

UTEP will step onto the McKale Center court tonight and play some hoops with the No. 12 team in the nation -- the Arizona Wildcats. Arizona has a trio of starters returning, led by preseason Pac-10 Player of the Year Solomon Hill. Arizona also has a talented transfer at the point in former Xavier standout Mark Lyons. And the Wildcats have one of the premier recruiting classes in the nation.

"(Coach) Sean (Miller) has done a great job there," UTEP coach Tim Floyd said. "This is his fourth year and he's assembled his best team. It's his youngest, but it's his best. They've got three McDonald's All-Americans at the four and five spots alone."

Each of these teams is 1-0. UTEP took a solid 69-49 win over Oral Roberts on Friday night in the Don Haskins Center. Arizona opened Sunday with an 82-73 win over Charleston Southern at home. Lyons, a fifth-year senior, led the Wildcats with 17 points and Hill had 14.

Miller and the Wildcats actually have two of the premier recruiting classes in the nation over the last two years. They have been rated No. 7 and No. 3 nationally by ESPNU. This year, the Wildcats have four freshmen -- forward Brandon Ashley, forward Grant Jerrett, center Kaleb Tarczewski and guard Gabe York -- ranked in the ESPNU Top 100.

"They have dynamic talent with depth," Floyd said. "We're going to have to not turn the ball over and we are going to have to shoot for percentage. Those are important areas, but I'm thinking rebounding might end up being the key."

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Each of these teams had a nice turnover ratio in those openers. The Miners had only seven turnovers and forced 20 from Oral Roberts on Friday. Arizona committed just eight turnovers on Sunday.

"That's probably the most pleasing thing so far," Floyd said. "Our turnover margin. But they have veteran perimeter players, so we're not expecting the same number of turnovers we had against Oral Roberts."

One of the individual bright spots for the Miners in that win was the play of Chris Washburn. The 6-foot-8 freshman scored 14 points, becoming the first Miner freshman to score in double figures in a season opener since Stefon Jackson put up 12 points in 2005.

"I'm ready," Washburn said. "I'm just excited to go over and compete against one of the best teams in the nation. I feel rebounding will be the major turning point in this game. They are really a good rebounding team."

Of course, turnovers are always an issue in any hoops duel and UTEP sophomore point guard C.J. Cooper will be a pivotal part of that equation.

"I think we're all really excited," Cooper said. "First road game and we're playing a ranked team. It can't be more exciting than that."

Cooper was a teammate of Arizona freshman Grant Jerrett at Lutheran High School in LaVerne, Calif.

Breaking into a big smile, Cooper said, "Grant and I played together our whole lives. I've always played with him, but now it will be fun playing against him. For us, I just think we need to come out with the same intensity we had in the second half against Oral Roberts."

These two schools have a history, but hardly a recent one. Arizona leads the series 59-30, a series that began in 1920, but one that has not seen these schools meet since 1995. UTEP, as so many fans remember, defeated Arizona in Tucson in the 1987 NCAA Tournament, making a dramatic comeback and taking a 98-91 overtime win. Arizona has won the last two meetings -- 75-61 in 1994 in El Paso and 90-70 in 1995 in Tucson. Arizona was ranked in the Top 10 in the country in both of those contests.

This, though, is not about history. This is just an early season matchup ... albeit one with some teeth ... a stern early season challenge for UTEP's Miners.

Bill Knight may be reached at bknight@elpasotimes.com; 546-6171. Follow him on Twitter @BillKnightept.